Scan the QR code to pay for your pla pao » Manila Bulletin Lifestyle

THE FUTURE OF FOOD CONSUMPTION An board displaying a QR code is seen as a vendor waits for customers at a market in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok’s famous street-food vendors have joined the digital revolution, embracing payment via Quick Response (QR) barcodes that can be read using smartphones.

Thailand is famous for its traditional street stalls that offer everything from stir-fried noodles to clothes and for many Thais eating out at a pavement stall is part of their daily routine.

Now, some vendors in the capital Bangkok are offering digital transactions after the Bank of Thailand (BOT) recently gave the green light for five banks, including Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank, to implement electronic payment systems using QR codes.

“The global trend is toward a ‘cashless society’ as it is more convenient and there is proof of transaction. The QR code system would be most practical in Thailand as less investment is needed on behalf of vendors,” Somsak Khaosuwan, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, told Reuters.

At Samyan Market, a market and shopping area in Bangkok that sells everything from vegetables to handbags, vendors said QR codes were taking off, although some shoppers still prefer to use cash, particularly those who are less tech-savvy.